Desert icons: Frontier days important bonanza

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Country singer Blake Shelton still remains scheduled to appear on center stage. Same with the biggest names in the rodeo game.

Billed as the “Daddy of ‘em all,” Cheyenne Frontier Days has been held for 123 straight years. But the clock on the festival’s website ticking toward the launch of the 10-day jubilee in July serves as a constant reminder that concerns are mingled with the hopes for this year’s event.

Concern: The coronavirus pandemic could interrupt the festival that drew more than 262,000 people and raked in nearly $28 million for the county in 2019 with a mix of rodeo events, musical acts, food and carnival rides.

Hope: There’s still time to carry on a streak that began in 1897.

“Through all the wars, through the Depression, we’ve never missed a year,” said CEO Tom Hirsig, whose event is scheduled from July 17-26. “We’ve put ourselves in a position where it certainly wouldn’t be the end of Cheyenne Frontier Days, but it could change the face of it to miss a year.

“You don’t have 10 days to make that income back up.”

The numbers from 2019 illustrate the importance of the event to Wyoming’s capital city: The ticketed attendance for rodeos, concerts and other events was 262,466. That added up to visitors spending $5.3 million for restaurants and bars; $10.8 million in shopping, gas and other retail; and $7.6 million for entertainment/recreation.

The festival also creates more than 300 full- and part-time jobs.

What’s more, it’s a chance for heads of businesses from around the state ‚Äî from around the country, really ‚Äî to see the city teeming with activity and to talk shop. In recent years, a Microsoft data center opened in Cheyenne, along with a gun parts manufacturer and cryptocurrency operations.

“It’s a good PR tool for us and has been for a long, long time,” said Dale Steenbergen, president and CEO of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce.